Scientists from Switzerland are identifying a condition where skin is exposed to heat for long periods of time and are calling it the, “Toasted Skin Syndrome.” This can occur with laptops where heat can exceed temperatures of 125 degrees Fahrenheit. The extreme heat is usually caused by a combination of components heating up internally in the laptop ranging from the batteries, power supply, processor, memory, hard drive, motherboard, on board video, and other laptop components. Extended periods of exposure to this kind of heat on your lap can create discolored and sponge-patterned skin on your legs. Chronic damage to the skin could lead to a small risk of further skin damage with long-term use of the laptop.

There is nothing new with laptops heating up and feeling too hot to put on our lap for actual use. However, if your laptop is getting too hot to touch, you should turn it off and think about aiding to the internal cooling. External USB laptop fan platforms, laptop stands, and cleaning the laptop air vents can help increase air flow to the internal components of your laptop. Just be aware that extended periods of hot laptop time could leave some marks on your lap that you might not find so amusing.